Well, it’s that time of year again:
I am officially signing off, starting at the very end of this post until the very start of the next one, which will appear at some point during August 31st, 2026.
But before I leave, I’ve got some complaining to do:
Like all my complaints, this too is a well-worn furrow, and it’s me complaining about people complaining about how much it costs to ride motorized Citi Bikes. First the argument was that Citi Bike motorbikes are so expensive it’s forcing people to ride recklessly, which was…cute. Now advocates want to cap the cost of a 45-minute Citi Bike ride at $3, which would require a city subsidy:
They’re getting plenty of local media attention, too:
See, the problem is that a 45-minute ride on a Citi Bike with a motor in it is too expensive for the “working class:”
“Working class people… I don’t know that they can do that. That’s a luxury,” Alex said.
Another rider echoed those concerns.
“Pretty expensive. It’s not cheap enough that I can pay a regular commuting toll,” the rider said.
According to transit advocates, a 45-minute ride on an electric Citi Bike costs four times more than a subway or bus ride and nearly three times more than a ferry trip.
Oddly this was the same argument people used against congestion pricing for drivers:
Look, obviously I don’t associate directly with working-class people. Their coarse manners and calloused hands make me extremely uneasy. For this reason I have no idea how they actually get around, but I really do wish someone would decide once and for all whether the working class are a bunch of motorists or a bunch of cyclists, because I don’t think they should get to have it both ways.
I suppose the problem here is that in real life the people speaking for them avoid them just as assiduously as I pretend I do.
So how much is a motorized Citi Bike ride, anyway?
Well, if you guessed $12.15, you’d be right:
Transportation Alternatives said the cost of that ride in New York has increased from $4.50 in 2020 to $12.15 in 2026, making it the most expensive bike-share program for riders in the country. The advocacy group said the same ride costs $4.50 in Boston, $2.30 in Paris, $1.35 in London and $1.05 in Tokyo.
As a result, cyclists and advocates are backing a bill that would set the cost of every ride at $3.
Is that so expensive though? Yes, maybe it’s expensive compared to those other places, but Citi Bike is larger than any of those other systems, and thus more expensive to maintain. Someone’s got to pay for all those abandoned Citi Bikes I’m always finding dumped in Yonkers, right?
[I don’t think people who live in the Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens gentrification nexus fully appreciate how many Citi Bikes wind up this way.]
Also, none of those cities has 24-hour subway service like we do, meaning the Platonic ideal of the “working class” commuter is ultimately better served here transit-wise. Also also, using a Citi Bike to close a gap in subway or bus service is one thing (we’re always reminded of the TRANSIT DESERTS and the FOOD DESERTS and HOW COME THERE SO MANY DESERTS IN THE CITY), but 45 minutes? On a bicycle with a motor? That’s nearly enough time to watch the Mets lose at Citi Field then ride all the way to JFK Airport to wait for your severely delayed flight. A luxury? Perhaps. But so is a 45-minute taxi ride, or a Lyft/Uber (Luber?)* ride, or a Circle Line tour around Manhattan island. So that motorbike cruise is actually a pretty decent deal.
But far more relevant than any of the above…WHAT ABOUT THE REGULAR BIKES?!?
Those are dirt cheap:
Oh, and if you’re a member, a 45-minute ride on a regular bike is…
…wait for it…
…FREE!
The first 45 minutes of each ride on a classic Citi Bike are included in the annual membership price.
Of course you still have to pay for the membership, which costs $239 per year. So just under $20 a month. So Netflix money.
Yes, even that’s a lot of money for plenty of people, as my make-believe working class friends always remind me when they’re begging for my Netflix password to watch working class shows like “Chef’s Table,” which is why Citi Bike also offers this:
And finally, I’ve long exhorted people to JBARA, but in this case I would suggest that anybody who feels motorized Citi Bikes are too expensive should JBAPAEBA:*
*[Just Buy A Pedal-Assist E-Bike Already…like this one, chosen totally at random.]
I’m not talking about one of those mutant freak electric motorcycles, I’m talking about a pedal-assist e-bike from a reputable company. It pays itself off in 179 electric Citi Bike trips, which if you’re doing the kind of e-bike mileage that makes Citi Bike’s pricing truly burdensome will happen in well under a year. Seems like a decent deal to me.
And yes, you’ve got to then deal with bike parking and all that stuff, but then advocates can redirect the $3 Citi Bike lobbying to better bike parking lobbying
I’m certainly not saying that we shouldn’t have electric Citi Bikes. All I’m saying is that people have options.
Okay, all that complaining should make it abundantly clear that I need a vacation, and it should also make you realize you need a vacation from me. So I will accommodate all of us very, very shortly. But before I do, I will muster the remaining positivity from my depleted reserves to thank you very, very much for reading this blog, and for supporting it so generously. I’d say your readership means more to me than you know, but I shouldn’t have to, since you should know it, because here I am telling you it means a huge amount and I am extremely grateful. How thankful? This grateful:
[Extends arms as far apart as they can possibly go.]
I’ll see you back here on Monday August 31st so we can give summer one final heave-ho, and until then,
I remain,
With love and fondness if the love part makes you uncomfortable,
Jörs Trüli,
–Tanner T. Tenovo, avid malcontent and gentleman bicycle blogger
